Making and canning your own bread and butter zucchini pickles is very easy
and inexpensive with this traditional and tested (USDA / Ball Blue Book) recipe.
Anyone with a garden knows you'll soon have more zucchini that you can eat or
give away, so here's a way to preserve (pickle) them to enjoy in the cold winter
months. And it's less than $1 per pint jar! Here's how to do it, in easy
steps and completely illustrated. It is much faster than the old
method your grandmother used with tons of pickling salt and de-scumming the brine! Ugh!
This method is so easy, ANYONE can do this! It's a great thing to do with
your kids!

Ingredients

4 pounds of fresh small zucchini, sliced lengthwise (that's about
16
small zucchinis)

2/3 pound quartered onions (about 8 small, golf ball sized
onions)

2 medium green sweet peppers (if you like it hot, of course, you
could use jalopenos, haberneros, etc. instead)

1/3 cup canning or pickling salt

2 cups of sugar (yes, you may use honey, agave or even Stevia /
Splenda, to taste; since the sweetener is present for taste, not
rpreserving properties in this recipe)

2 Tablespoons of mustard seed*

1 teaspoon of tumeric*

1 teaspoon of celery seed*

1 teaspoon of peppercorns* (*note, in a pimch, you could replace
these herbs identified with an asterisk (*) with generic "pickling
spice")

3 cups white vinegar (5%)

Ball pickle crisp (optional)

Equipment

1 Canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars
after
filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores and grocery stores.). Note: we
sell many sizes and types of canners for all types of stoves and needs
- see canning supplies

Half pint canning jars (Ball or Kerr jars can be found at grocery stores, like Safeway, Publix, Kroger, grocery stores, even online - about $9 per dozen jars including the lids and rings).

Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with
a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They
may only be used once.

Rings - metal bands that secure the lids
to the jars. They may be reused many times.

Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)

Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling
water where you sanitize them. ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page)

Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page)

1 large pot; teflon lined, glass or ceramic.

Large spoons and ladles

Directions - Step by Step

Step 1 - Slice the zucchini and onions

Just slice of 1/8 inch from each end, then slice them
lengthwise, into quarters. Slice the ends off the onions and cut them
into quarters (it's not a problem if the quartered onions then fall
apart)

Step 2 - Salt the zukes and onions and let stand.

Combine the sliced zucchini and onions in a bowl with the 1/3 cup of
canning or pickling salt. Add enough cold water to cover them. Let the mix
stand for 90 minutes (1.5 hours).

Step 3 - Drain

Drain (and discard) the liquids from the zucchini and onions. Then
rinse the zucchini and onions thoroughly in a colander or drainer.

Step 4 - Mix the spices, vinegar and heat

In a large stainless steel, enamel, or lined pot (ceramic or teflon,
etc), combine the

3 cups white vinegar (5%)

2 cups of sugar (yes, you may use honey, agave or even Stevia /
Splenda, to taste; since the sweetener is present for taste, not
rpreserving properties in this recipe)

2 Tablespoons of mustard seed*

1 teaspoon of tumeric*

1 teaspoon of celery seed*

1 teaspoon of peppercorns* (*note, in a pimch, you could replace
these herbs identified with an asterisk (*) with generic "pickling
spice")

and bring to a boil.

Step 5 - Add the zucchini and onions to the
pot

Add the zucchini and onions and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 6 - Fill the canning jars

Fill the jars with zucchini/onion mixture,
leaving 1/2 inch headspace. then fill the void (air space) with
the hot pickling solution from mixture up to the 1/2 inch headspace. Some people
like to add a tablespoon
of Ball "pickle crisp" to each jar now, to help the pickles remain
crispy.

Step 7 - Process in the water bath canner

Put the lids and rings on the jar, gently snug-tight, put them in the
rack and lower into the water bather canner, which should be about 2/3 full
of boiling water at a full boil. The jars should be convered by at
least an inch of water. Bring the water back to a boil (if you have it on
high heat, that shouldn't take but a minute or two) and then start timing,
according to your altitude (at sea level up to 1,000 ft, 15 minutes).

Ball Recommended process time for Pickled zucchini in a
boiling-water canner.

Hot Packed

Process Time at Altitudes of

Jar Size

0 - 1,000 ft

1,001 - 6,000 ft

half-pints

15 min

20

Step 8 - Remove from the canner

Remove the jars, let them cool in a draft-free
place, and then store in a cool, dark place. They'll be good for
up to a year. After that, the taste declines, but they're
still safe, if the seals are intact and there are no signs of
spoilage. spoilage.

Pickle Making Problems?

Other Equipment:

Lid lifter
- to remove lids from the
pot
of boiling water
(sterilizing )

Lid
- disposable - you may only
use them once

Ring
- holds the lids on the jar until after
the jars cool - then you don't need
them

Canning jar funnel
- to fill the jars

You can get all of the tools in a kit here:

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

$11.75 total
or about $0.98 per jar INCLUDING the jars - which you can
reuse!

* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and
reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many
products are sold in jars that will take the lids and rings for
canning. For example, Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized
jars that work with Ball and Kerr lids and rings. Note that
the Classico's manufacturer does not recommend reuse of their jars:
see what they have to say on this
page:

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